Little wheels = abuse!

Why is it I can cycle mile upon mile on my trusty Dawes hybrid or my roadie, with never a murmur or grumble from people I pass. But, nip out on my folder and I get verbally abused by yoofs, builders and other boneheads! "Get yourself a proper bike" or "Look at him on that girls bike" are a couple of the more repeatable comments. Surely the 20" wheels aren't that offensive?

I've pretty well stopped commuting on the folder and gone back to the full-sized hack. I felt that drivers especially didn't give me space on the folder in the way that they do a big bike. I had a very nasty left hook that brushed my handlebars and shoulder on the folder, literally within millimetres of injuring me badly.

Certainly had a few bits of verbal abuse but try to just hurl it back.

I've pretty well stopped commuting on the folder and gone back to the full-sized hack. I felt that drivers especially didn't give me space on the folder in the way that they do a big bike. I had a very nasty left hook that brushed my handlebars and shoulder on the folder, literally within millimetres of injuring me badly.

Certainly had a few bits of verbal abuse but try to just hurl it back.

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Yeah, I've noticed the same thing - the folder doesn't have the same road presence. It is a useful little bugger though and is convenient.

I think that this is the result of people's or society's general tendency to reject things that are out of the ordinary.

I regularly encounter the inventor of the "sideways bike" out on that bike on my rides. On occasions I myself have noticed a slight tendency to call out to him "get a normal/proper bike like everyone else" as I fly past him. Part in a joking manner, but not entirely.

On a point of anthropology, perhaps it could be argued that this tendency helps to create the glue that binds us together. The paradox is that it uses rejection as a method to achieve the bonding.

Ment to reply to this before.
I ride my folder everyday, and i love it when someone on a mountainbike trys to keep up, some do some keep up for so long then drop off.
I've had some abuse from kids, and i love to shout abuse back like "grow some Boll@cks and come back say that."
However, some people dont say anything. And i've had people ask if it folds and when i say yes, they normally say cool.
I get some strange looks from some people, and some kids laugh. My brothers thought my folder was stupid, then they had a go on it and really liked it.
The best come back, is "these wheels are the same size as my penis." cant do anything but laugh at that.

Ment to reply to this before.
I ride my folder everyday, and i love it when someone on a mountainbike trys to keep up, some do some keep up for so long then drop off.
I've had some abuse from kids, and i love to shout abuse back like "grow some Boll@cks and come back say that."
However, some people dont say anything. And i've had people ask if it folds and when i say yes, they normally say cool.
I get some strange looks from some people, and some kids laugh. My brothers thought my folder was stupid, then they had a go on it and really liked it.
The best come back, is "these wheels are the same size as my penis." cant do anything but laugh at that.